police violence
Riots in France: Over 1300 cars burned out
Burnt out cars and a bus stand on a street in Lyon. photo
© Laurent Cipriani/AP
The death of a teenager during a police check triggered the worst unrest in France in years. The night before his funeral, there were riots and hundreds arrested.
With renewed night-time riots in France burned out 1350 cars. The Ministry of the Interior announced that there were a total of 2,560 fires on public roads. In addition, 31 police stations were attacked. According to the authorities, 1,900 cars burned out last night.
After the death of a youth during a police check, violent riots broke out in several major French cities for the fourth night in a row. Almost 1000 people were arrested on Saturday night and 79 police officers were injured. The authorities had imposed restrictions on public life and local transport for the night and relied on a massive police presence: around 45,000 police officers were to ensure order at night.
Despite this, there was looting, property damage and violent clashes. According to media reports, there were particularly violent clashes in Marseille and Lyon. In Marseille, among other things, a supermarket was looted after an arson attack. Darmain said the violence overall was “much less intense.” He said, “The Republic will win, not the rioters.” He did not believe that a state of emergency should be imposed.
Meanwhile, the unrest not only spread to the Belgian capital, Brussels, but also to French overseas territories in the Caribbean, where a person died from a ricochet. The 17-year-old who was killed during a police check on Tuesday is to be buried today in his hometown of Nanterre.
Police officers are being investigated for manslaughter
The riots were triggered by the death of a 17-year-old during a police check on Tuesday. A motorcycle patrol in Nanterre near Paris stopped 17-year-old Nahel at the wheel of a car in the morning. When the young man suddenly drove off, a deadly shot was fired from the police officer’s service weapon. The incident caused dismay across the country, and France has been shaken by violent unrest ever since. The police officer responsible for Nahel’s death was taken into custody. A formal investigation into manslaughter was initiated against him.
More than 900 people were arrested on Friday night. 40,000 police officers were on duty. According to the Interior Ministry, around 250 police officers were injured.
The government responded to the riots with restrictions on public life, among other things. For example, trams and buses will no longer run at night until further notice, major events have been canceled and the sale and carrying of fireworks and flammable substances has been banned. Since many of the rioters are very young, according to the government, President Emmanuel Macron appealed to parents to be responsible and blamed social media for the escalation of violence.
Riots also in French overseas territories
In connection with the unrest in France, there were also riots in some French overseas territories. In Cayenne, the capital of South American French Guiana, a man was killed by a ricochet during the night, local authorities said. According to media reports, the man was an employee of the local administration. According to official information, Prefect Thierry Queffelec then banned the carrying of weapons for the following two nights on Friday and the transport of flammable substances until Monday.
According to a report by the regional portal France-Antilles, there was also violence in the Caribbean overseas territory of Martinique on Friday night. Around 20 to 30 hooded people threw stones at police officers in the capital, Fort-de-France. Garbage cans were set on fire in several places.
Young people also came together again in the Belgian capital Brussels on Friday afternoon in response to the death of the 17-year-old. According to a police spokeswoman, they gathered in different places after a call on social networks. In the meantime, around 50 people have been arrested preventively, it said. Already on Thursday evening there were clashes between young people and law enforcement officers in the Belgian capital.
Mbappé warns against violence
French soccer star Kylian Mbappé was concerned by the 17-year-old’s death and warned of violence. “Since this tragic event, we have witnessed the expression of popular anger, the content of which we understand but the form of which we cannot approve,” said the statement, which he probably published together with other international players. Many players come from the working-class neighborhoods themselves and can understand the pain and sadness. But violence doesn’t solve any problems. “The time of violence must end to make way for the time of mourning, dialogue and reconstruction,” Mbappé said.